At the end of the season, the WHA had a problem involving the fourth and final team to make the postseason in the Western Division.
Mike Byers became the first WHA player to end a postseason series with an overtime goal with his score in Game 5 that saw the Whalers send the Nationals home.
The Philadelphia Blazers squeaked into the postseason as the 3rd team with a record of 38–40 to go with the third best offense with 288 goals scored and a 10th ranked defense with 305 allowed.
In the first game, Buchanon became the first WHA player to score a playoff overtime goal that gave Cleveland a 3–2 victory.
The Minnesota Fighting Saints, having survived the tie-breaker and marching in with a 38-37-3 record that had a weak offense (250 goals, 11th of 12 teams) and a middling defense (6th).